Sky Purington's Blog, page 40

Boston Witches. Unleashed Magic. Jessica Gibson's, Mark of the Witch.

 Today I'll be featuring, Jessica Gibson, author of Mark of the Witch (Boston Witches Book 1), a Paranormal Romance. Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win a Kindle or Amazon gift card! ISBN: 10: 1475119836
ASIN: B0087GFJ9QNumber of pages: 192
Word Count: 51,520 Cover Artist: Russ Turner Photography Barnes and Noble , Amazon , Paperback Book DescriptionMagic flows through Jillian Proctor's veins as surely as blood, but so far her life outside Boston has been peaceful. William Morgan blows into Jilly's life like a hurricane, unleashing her magic and sending her out of control.

Unknowingly, William brings an enemy who only wants to posses the power of the witch. Jilly must learn to harness her magic before she loses it - and everything in her life is destroyed.  ExcerptYou may as well come out,” she called. “I know you’re in there.” Both girls scanned the trees for any trace of movement. Finally, off to their left, a figure emerged from the thick brush. It was a man neither of them recognized. He was short and wiry, with bright red hair and freckles. Jilly thought he was almost too adorable to be afraid of. Almost being the operative word. He came to a stop about six feet in front of them and held up his hands in a gesture of peace. “I don’t mean you any harm,” he said, reiterating the gesture. “I’m only here to set up a meeting between you and Sabine,” he said as he nodded his head in Jilly’s direction. “And what if I don’t agree to this meeting? Will you mean us harm then?” she asked as she slowly rubbed her palms together. She felt the familiar reassuring tingle in her fingers. “Sabine doesn’t want you hurt. She just wants to talk, but if I have to hurt you I will.” He walked a step or two closer. The look on his face was anything but friendly. “I’d stay where you are if I were you,” Jilly said forcefully. “You really don’t know me.” She rubbed her palms faster. Her palms and fingers were glowing by now.

The man looked at her and shrugged before charging toward her. Jilly put up her hands and grabbed his arm; he went down fast. She kept a hold of his arm until she felt the warmth in her hands start to fade, and yelled for Caroline to make a run for it. “No, I’m not going to just leave you here with him,” Caroline yelled. “Does it look like I’m helpless?” she shot back. Caroline looked at her with narrowed eyes and Jilly said, “I’ll be right behind you, just go!”

Caroline nodded and took off running as Jilly started to rub her palms again. She shocked the man once more to make sure he stayed down for a while and took off after her sister.

She caught up to Caroline a little ways off from the house. They both ran at full speed the rest of the way back and up into the house. Caroline slammed the door and threw the deadbolt. “Right,” Jilly said sarcastically, “do you really think something like a locked door is going to stop them if they really want to get in?” “I don’t know, it just seemed like the right thing to do,” Caroline said in a nervous voice.  
Chasing the Witch (Boston Witches Book 2)- Coming Soon!
Book Description  After the events of Mark of the Witch, Jilly at last begins to breathe easier though her powers are still growing. But can she harness them in time to confront a new chain of events that threatens to change everything?
Caroline has finally accepted her life as a witch, but when a stranger comes into her life she's forced to question her family loyalty.
The sisters are thrown together to protect a young girl from the enemy determined to hunt her down. Can they save her -- and themselves?
 About the Author   Jessica lives in California with her husband and young son. She loves to read, and that love helped her to branch out into writing. Aside from writing, she runs an online event planning business called the Release Day Diva. In addition to novels, Jessica writes and maintains the blog Book on the Bright Side. Keep up with Jessica and her latest releases and events on her blog. Website: www.releasedaydiva.weebly.com
Blog: www.thisauthorslife.blogspot.com
Book Blog : www.bookonthebrightside.blogspot.com
Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/pages/Jessica-Gibson/120212814747940
Twitter: jessicajgibson

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112f134/


 

Romance Lurks In The Shadows... Ruined by Kinley Baker.

 Today it's my pleasure to welcome over Kinley Baker, author of DENIED SHADOWED LOVE, BOOK TWO, a Fantasy Romance.

Publisher: Crescent Moon Press  When invaders brutally massacred the women and children of the Varner, Caleb witnessed loss and destruction on a scale few can comprehend. As the leader of a race on the brink of extinction, his only hope for survival is gaining acceptance into the Shadow Shifter Kingdom. Struggling with new customs, he meets Tabitha, a woman who challenges his limits.

Refused the right to join the king’s guard because of her gender, Tabitha must be stronger than the men to prove she deserves to be the first accepted female Warrior in the kingdom. She believes Caleb will help improve her abilities, until she learns her goals conflict with the foundation of his culture.

When the realm is attacked, Tabitha and Caleb must come together not only to fight, but to find the strength to win against an evil with the potential to destroy everything they revere most--including each other.

Add DENIED as To-Read on GoodReads !

Before we learn more about these fantastic books we're going to hear directly from Kinley herself.

SKY: Thanks for joining us, Kinley!

KINLEY: Thank you for allowing me to visit today, Sky!

Romance Lurks in the Shadows

The Realm of Shadows in my Shadowed Love Trilogy came from my obsession with the shadows. The darkness hides so much on a wide spectrum.

Fear, intrigue, mystery, passion.

Things lurk where we’re afraid to travel.

I love paranormal romance and all things strange. When the idea of Shadow Shifters sparked a whole realm, I knew I had to write their stories. And they had to be romances because I’m obsessed with happy endings.

My fascination with the shadows started with the wicked witch of my bedroom at age eight. I was convinced the witch lived right outside my window. It was really a tree, but to my vivid imagination, there was no convincing me differently. It was a witch…

It’s only when we get older that we start to see the shadows hide much more than fear. In the darkness, we’re given the ability to explore parts of ourselves we might be afraid to see in the light of day.

The inherent intrigue is what drew me into a realm full of scandal, corruption, and war. The stories are tempered by love, strong family ties, and the ever vast question of loyalty.

Ruined, the first book in the trilogy, explores a forbidden relationship between Jessa, the Senior Healer, and Vale, the newly crowned King. Jessa struggles with her need to help. She can’t seem to find the limit on what she gives to others.

On the opposite side of the power struggle, Vale is attempting to gain the respect of his kingdom and his Court. He never expected to lead, and he’s forced to examine what being a strong leader truly means.

Throughout the series, it was important for the characters to have their own shadows, as well. The things they struggle with and against are never easy and there are multiple ways to view them.

With the shadows shielding us, sometimes it’s easier to hide what we don’t want to admit about ourselves. The characters in the Realm of Shadows struggle with this fundamental theme.

I still remember creating bunny ears with a flashlight against the wall at camp. Not all memories of the shadows are filled with anxiety. Some of them are fun, too.

Do you have a fun story to share about your experience with shadows when you were younger or older?


RUINED: Shadowed Love Book One By Kinley Baker
Genre: Fantasy Romance
Publisher: Crescent Moon Press
BLURBJessa is one healing away from death. Under the thrall of her gift, the Court's Senior Healer risks giving her life in exchange for her patient's.

Vale is a rebel ruler. When his brother is killed, he's given the throne and the decree from the Court to produce an heir or lose his family's hold on the land--and his deceiving advisors aren't afraid to use murder as a weapon if their directive to stay away from the Senior Healer goes unheeded.

But Vale burns to possess Jessa. The heat between them leaves a wake of smoke, and even the powerful forces above want to bind them in a union that lasts forever. Vale taking another would be a betrayal neither could survive.

Their enemies fear a child born of such a powerful Healer and Warrior, but the true threat lies in the bond forged in shadows and fused in fire.

Barnes and Noble     Kindle    Amazon Paperback   Book trailer on YouTube
EXCERPT  "You." Fury burned hot under Jessa's skin as she glared at Vale. "Who do you think you are, demanding I come live in this castle? You can't just order your guards to enter a woman's home and pack up her things."

"Well, I did." Vale came around the desk and propped one hip against it, more of a threatening than casual movement.

"Someone tried to kill me. It makes sense that I have my Healer close by."

She released a pent-up breath. "Why couldn't you have explained that instead of mandating?" Silly. Her imagination had run away with her. The king needed his Healer. But the realization he didn't want her made her angrier.

"Because I didn't want to give you the option of saying no."

She most definitely would have said no.

"If you would have explained your reasoning, I would have complied. Your safety and health come first, even if I-"

"Even if you what?"

"Loathe you." She bunched her fingers into two fists, seriously tempted to hit him. For all the nonexistent pain it would inflict upon him.

"Do you?" His tone deadened with calm. "Because I can't stop thinking about you."

"That's normal." She brushed off the claim. "I saved your life."

He moved in a blur. A true Shadow Shifter. One second he stood near his desk, the next he had her in his arms, one locked around her waist and one hand tangled in her hair. Their lips almost brushed.

"I can't stop thinking about you." His murmur played down her spine, leaving a tingling trail. His scent invaded her. His voice embraced her like bare skin against satin sheets.

Her heart beat fast, her pulse jumped.

She disliked him, but didn't want him to let her go.

"Have you been thinking about me?" His soft tone feathered over her flesh.

"Only how much I dislike you." Lust pulsed in her belly.

He pulled her head back gently by her hair, so they looked straight into each other's eyes. Their bodies pressed tightly together. "Liar."

Check out Kinley’s new novella, Freed, set in the world of The Shadowed Love series BLURB After mortal invaders slay a Shadow Shifter woman, Queen Ella knows there is more blood on the horizon. As the most powerful Sensitive in the village, Ella has always known she’s destined to save the kingdom. But her task seems impossible. She must move the Well of Souls to a new realm to save her people or risk failing the Ancestor gods.

The woman King Falon loves will never love him back, despite a binding marriage built on regal decorum. Falon’s first duty is to his people, and he only wants to provide the Shadow Shifters with a safe future. He must assert his power to gain the respect of the warriors.

Harder still, King Falon must accept the salvation of his people lies with his own Queen Ella, a woman who speaks madness... a woman he’s always loved, but hardly knows.

EXCERPT Chapter One The Mortal Realm, 657
King Falon looked up at the darkening sky, and a heavy burden settled inside his chest. Where were their Ancestor gods?

From his castle balcony, he stared over the hills of his homeland in Northern Britain, the place the Shadow Shifters had always called home. Their history and their hearts were embedded in these lands.

The mortals had always been a danger, but his people had escaped their persecution. That was no longer the case. The martyrs wanted to annihilate the Shadow Shifters, a race who thrived in the darkness, who thrived in the shadows, who thrived in the night.

Holy believers were coming for them, without any understanding of what they attempted to fight. The Shadow Shifter village had remained protected on these hills, with their Ancestor gods watching over them. Now, their existence was threatened.

“It isn’t your fault.” The sound of Pavel’s voice came from behind him.

Falon couldn’t bear to face his oldest friend and advisor. “Then whose is it?”

“We knew we couldn’t stay hidden here forever.”

“Why must they attack during my reign? Why must this fall to me?” He sighed. “For centuries, peace existed for our people.”

New to the throne, newly wed, newly orphaned. Too many firsts weighed on his shoulders. He didn’t know how to handle the burden.

Pavel seemed to read his mind. “The Ancestors would never give you this challenge if they didn’t believe you capable of discovering a way to provide for our people.”

His friend had so much faith in bodiless apparitions. As the Spirit Teacher, perhaps Pavel had to have faith. But Falon struggled. He’d always struggled.

“That girl--” He couldn’t finish. Seeing the mutilated body of one of his people had made bile rise to his throat. His people had looked to him for answers, and he’d nearly crumbled in front of them.

“You did your duty per our traditions and honored her family.”

Falon had done his duty, but the young girl’s face. He’d never forget it.

“When do you think they’ll come?”

Pavel sighed. “After their savagery, it could be this night, it could be a fortnight. I do not have the answers.”

“We must prepare the Warriors.” To stop his people from being destroyed.

“Then you’ll fight?”

“What other choice do I have?” He glared at his friend, freeing his frustration.

“None that you see.”

“I don’t have time for riddles.”

Pavel smiled. “You never did.”

“I’ll do whatever’s necessary to protect our lands and the Well of Souls. We can’t afford to allow the mortals access to our sacred power source.”

“I trust you’ll do what you must.”

His friend might have too much faith. Falon studied their lands for another long moment, watching the sun fall into the lure of the mountains.

“Of course I will.” But when he glanced back again, Pavel was gone. He had a way of disappearing.

Falon knew he couldn’t dwell on the events of the past week. A young girl was gone, killed by bloodthirsty strangers, but the rest of his people remained. He could not allow her tragic death to befall the whole.

He strode through his private chambers to an adjoining room, deciding not to use the shadows to shift so he could take a deep breath and collect himself. After passing through the doorway, he came to an abrupt halt.

His breath caught at the sight before him. A woman of supreme elegance stood in the last flickers of light, staring out at the disappearing sun from her balcony.

Heavy, thick robes lined her luscious form. Beautiful velvet in a rich blue color fit snugly to her curves. A crown of entwined flowers sat proud atop her head. Her delicate profile showed her true regal magnificence.

Light hair curled down long and brushed against the fabric of her dress. She stood, ethereal, like an Ancestor goddess in his midst. Perfect. Untouchable. Supposedly his.

She didn’t turn to look at him, although he knew she always knew when he entered the room. This was a woman of ultimate power, the strongest Sensitive in the kingdom. And one of only a few in the village who seemed to glow with magic.

So soft. So kind. So distant.

She was his wife. His queen.

And so far out of reach. He wanted her with a desperation that made him ache. But he often thought his wanting of her would be the death of him. He couldn’t allow it to be the death of his kingdom.

“We’re expected for the evening meal.” His tone was rigid.

Her stance remained the same, as if she couldn’t hear him.

“Ella,” he said.

She didn’t move.

Ella made him question himself in a way no one ever had. As a royal and now a king, he wasn’t used to scrutiny. No one seemed able to read his shortcomings as easily as his wife.

His patience frayed. Defiance was not a battle he needed to wage this day. Especially against the one woman who was supposed to stand by him always. Newly married and he’d already learned. The wife he’d married for love would never love him back. And she’d never be on his side.
***War. Ella’s blood boiled with the truth. The scent of blood drifted on the horizon. As the sun faded behind the mountains, her people’s safety faded with it. She felt this truth as surely as she felt her nails curling into her palms.

Loss. The wind swirled with it. Inevitable sacrifices lingered in their future, but she couldn’t define what they risked. Everything inside her yearned to place the pieces into a discernible pattern, something she could give to the king to use. But for the first time in her life, answers eluded her.

Were the Ancestors punishing her? She stared into the angry gray clouds and questioned. Something she’d rarely had to do. As a Sensitive, she’d always known the truth. Not now. Everything was changing, evolving, yielding, one day into the next, a whirlwind she couldn’t stop.

Despair. She could feel the pain in the air, like a blade suspended in time, destined to kill through the ages, destined to harm. A tear slid down her cheek. She was supposed to save her people. She’d always known it. But how? 
About the Author  Kinley Baker is the author of the fantasy romance series, Shadowed Love. She read her first romance at the age of thirteen and immediately fell in love with the hero and the genre.

She lives with her husband, Benjamin, and her dog, Joker, in the Pacific Northwest. Ruined, Denied, and Freed are all available now from Crescent Moon Press.

Look for a new paranormal romance series in 2013. As a firm supporter of all supernatural lifestyles, she writes fantasy, paranormal, and futuristic romances.

You can find Kinley at... www.kinleybaker.comhttp://authorkinleybaker.blogspot.com
www.twitter.com/kinleybaker
www.facebook.com/kinleybaker
http://www.goodreads.com/kinleybaker
http://www.facebook.com/AuthorKinleyBaker  

Make Welcome Hollywood Film Director, Editor and Writer, Hubert de La Bouillerie. OF LOVE AND EVIL: THE BIRTH

 Today I'll be featuring OF LOVE AND EVIL: THE BIRTH by Hubert de La Bouillerie. Infinity PublishingSeptember 26th, 2012 (print) ISBN-10: 0741478838 ISBN-13: 978-0741478832  Amazon Kindle   Amazon Print   Description
This epic love story, that began over 400 years ago with a pact made with the Devil in the name of love, is played out against the backdrop of today's world of high technology and social media.

Brooke Mirande, a beautiful young heiress, has just inherited full control of a multi-media empire. She rapidly finds herself torn between a love affair, with the gorgeous dot-com entrepreneur Robert Redman, and the strange, dark legacy of her mother.

Brooke begins a desperate search for the truth of her heritage. A truth that reveals a conspiracy that could even include the love of her life, Robert Redman.

Hubert de La Bouillerie’s debut novel, Of Love And Evil The Birth, is the first book in the Of Love and Evil trilogy published by Infinity Publishing. The second and third titles, Of Love And Evil The Pact andOf Love and Evil The Final Battle, have an anticipated release date of spring and fall of 2013. 

Let's hear a little from Hubert...

Paranormal Romance, What do you think about it?
By Hubert de La BouillerieParanormal Romance is an interesting mix. Love and the power of the unusual, can create fantastic situations. Love being one of the most intense and primal emotions we have, confronted with the unspeakable forces of evil will bring the best out in us.The fight to survive, to protect those we love in the face of insurmountable odds, against the armies of darkness is always gut wrenching and fascinating story telling.If an author manages to capture your imagination with images of battles, from the mind to the physical, from the surreal to the metaphysical, while sewing a tale that keeps you up at night wanting for more, it can rival any other genre.There is nothing more satisfying then when love has the power to conquer forces greater then ourselves, to fight the good fight regardless of the consequences and save our soul from damnation, we admire it.Our imagination is limitless when love and romance fill the heart. When well executed, it is an explosive combination that powers the mind to dream the impossible.I believe that Of Love And Evil The Birth accomplishes this; from a blood splattered cabin in Utah, to the heights of the Manhattan skyline, a woman’s discovery of her incredible past life to her coming of age in a world dominated by corporations intent on dominating the world for the few. Her voyage to make the world a better place through love, will challenge even the hardiest of us.  About the Author
Hubert de La Bouillerie is a highly respected Hollywood film director, writer and film editor with over thirty features, including such favorites as The Witches of Eastwick, Other People’s Money and Tango and Cash. His debut novel, Of Love and Evil The Birth is currently being adapted as a film, graphic novel and game.

http://throughalensprod.com/hubert.html
 

Let's Talk Gypsy's. The Gypsy's Dance by Charlie Daye

Today I'm featuring Charlie Daye, author of The Gypsy’s Dance (The Hunter’s Series book 1), a paranormal romance.

ISBN: 978-1478278634ASIN: B008NZ1KYYNumber of pages: 334 approxWord Count: 81,888  Amazon      Barnes and Noble
Book Description
Oralia Simone just turned eighteen and discovered that she has been promised to someone by her parents for marriage. Not wanting to shame her family she agrees to participate in the matching celebration where she will dance for her betrothed.

Niko Raydon is a Hunter. He and his kind are what police the magical community and make sure that no one uses dark magic to harm another. Niko finds himself drawn to a small Gypsy village on the night of their annual matching celebration because of the use of dark magic.

Tobias McGrath is next in line to lead his clan of Gypsy's. He's been promised Oraila Simone - the most beautiful woman in the clan and intends to make her his no matter the cost.

When Oralia meets Niko the connection between them is instant and despite her impending marriage to Tobias she wants to be with Niko and he with her. But will their love be enough to set her free or will Tobias's use of evil magic tear them apart for good?

 Excerpt
The time had finally come for the annual matching celebration. Oralia had been dreading this day for the last six months.

It was six months ago that Oralia’s parents, Patrick and Efanie, had sat her down to inform her that they finally decided it was time she married. Having only turned eighteen two weeks prior Oralia was mortified. She had no desire to marry, much less with any of the men from her clan. It’s true there were a few that were pleasant to look at but for the most part her options were limited and it’s not like she got a choice in the matter. Her parents would make the arrangements prior to the celebration then hand her over like some gift wrapped prize to be won after the celebratory dance was completed. The wedding itself would take a place sometime within the month following the celebration.

The entire process disgusted Oralia. She considered herself a free spirit and had no desire to settle down. She wanted to step out and see the world, to experience new things, meet new people and have the opportunity to choose for herself whom she wanted to love.

Life at times could be so unfair.

About the Author
Charlie Daye began writing at the tender age of thirteen. With an obsession for romance, happy endings and the supernatural she delves into your greatest fantasies and worst nightmares. She will have you laughing, crying, falling in love and getting angry. She will always give you a HEA but getting there is the journey worth taking.

Charlie Daye was born in Lynwood, California. Her greatest passions are music and writing. Her first short story was written at the age of thirteen. At the time her entire class was asked to write a short story for Halloween as part of a homework assignment. Most of the kids in the class wrote one to two page stories... Charlie wrote eight. The short story titled The Haunted House went on to win her district wide awards and was published locally. From there she began writing poetry as means of expression. Since then Charlie has written five full length novels, three of which are currently available for sale, and one novella. She has several other books in the works and looks forward to sharing her various worlds with you.
 www.Romancenovelcenter.com/charliedaye   http://www.facebook.com/pages/Charlie-Daye-Author/344922355541838www.goodreads.com/author/show/5778139.Charlie_Daye www.charliedaye.blogspot.com  

My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. Segment #6.

I’m so glad you decided to pop in. Why? Because today I’ll be sharing the rest of my results when investigating the paranormal in my very own haunted Victorian.

Keep scrolling after this post to read the first part, My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories, SEGMENTS four and five. To read segments one through three click HERE .To catch you up a little, allow me to share some about the house in which I live. Built in 1901 by my husband’s great-grandfather, this Victorian has seen many residents over the years and has many tales to tell. Ready to hear the rest of my experience investigating this house? Brief Recap: Before I continue allow me to share with you what equipment I used when I made contact. My weapon of choice was an EMF detector. This device is commonly used by electricians but has also become a very popular tool for paranormal investigations. Why? Because most in the field believe that spirits not only have a magnetic field but can use it to communicate with the living. My particular device reads on a scale of 0-10 Milligauss at 50/60 Hz. The way in which paranormal investigators use this device is by first establishing the magnetic field readings of the location. Once the magnetic fluctuations of a particular building are mapped out, the investigator can then narrow down the best areas to investigate. In point, those free of pre-existing magnetic activity. Examples of potentially higher magnetic readings in a home might include light fixtures, wiring, etc.. Once ready to use an EMF detector, only yes or no questions should be asked. A spike in the meter insinuates a ‘yes’. No spike in the meter insinuates a ‘no’.Continuing where I left off yesterday, I’d just made contact with a man who claimed he’d built my house. As it turned out he was not my husband’s great-grandfather but someone else. I am now of the assumption that he was a worker on the site. I have to admit I’d become pretty excited at this point. Why? The previous year I’d awoken to a transparent man standing over my bed. Dressed in early twentieth century clothing, I’d approximate his age to be late twenties, perhaps even early 30’s. Could that man be the very same that I was communicating with now? So I asked him, “Are you the man I saw standing over my bed last year? The meter spiked to six, held for a second, and then dropped to zero. Though I didn’t shiver, the fine hairs on my arms stood. Still, I remained calm. In another blog post I told of how my tenants had experienced something being thrown at them. I asked, “Did you throw something at the people next door?” The meter spiked to four then fell. I asked, “Were you upset with them?” The meter remained motionless. I asked again if it’d thrown something at the tenants. The meter spiked to four. I then left that topic alone, figuring that its reasons were its own and at least there had been no anger involved.Because I’d also awoken on another night to what appeared to be a little boy around four year’s old standing over my bed, I asked, “Are you the only spirit in this house?” The meter remained motionless as I asked this question several more times. Okay. He/it wasn’t alone. So I asked, “Is there a child here as well?”This is when it got intense.The meter spiked to eight and held for a few seconds before dropping. Did I shake at that point? Yes! I am only human. But I needed to make sure so I asked, “You’re absolutely positive that there’s a child in this house?” This time the meter hit ten to the point that the device seemed to vibrate. This lasted about five seconds then dropped back to zero.Instead of calling it quits like any sane person would I became more curious and asked if there was a third spirit in the house. The meter hit five and dropped. Three! Did I dare ask about a fourth? You know it. So I did. The meter remained motionless though I asked a few more times. Regrettably, despite my questioning about the third spirit, I was unable to divulge much save it preferred to keep its distance. I continued the investigation by asking simple questions such as, “Were you alive in 1920?” Sadly enough, the meter remained motionless after the year 1910 so I can only assume he/it passed away before that. All and all, it was a very exciting fifteen minutes that ended with the spirit responding that it would be willing to answer questions when my husband was home later. I really wanted him to witness what I had. Better yet, I wish I’d set up a video camera! Unfortunately when we tried later, my cat joined us and behaved very oddly. Walking back and forth between my husband and me, she wouldn’t stop meowing. And it wasn’t a friendly sort of sound. She wasn’t happy. And as you might have suspected, the spirit did not respond. All I could think at that time was what history tells us of cats being the guardians to the afterlife (or underworld). Could it be that myth and legend have place in non-fiction? I suppose we’ll never know. Do I intend to research the history of my property in more detail? You bet!Wishing everyone a very spooky Halloween!

Sky

My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. Segment #5.

Welcome! If you’re joining me for the first time you’ve arrived in time to hear some of my incredible experiences when paranormal investigating the very house in which I live. For those of you who frequent this blog, glad to have you back.

As a brief recap, let me explain what my Halloween Extravaganza is. Last year on October 29th, 30th and 31stI shared segments one, two and three of my true Victorian ghost stories.  As promised, I’m continuing my stories on the same dates this year in segments four, five and six. Interested in checking out the first three? Click HERE .

So let’s continue. Today, as aforementioned, I’m mixing it up a bit and sharing the unbelievable results I had when investigating the paranormal in my Victorian. Build in 1901 by my husband’s great-grandfather, this house has seen a lot over the past one hundred and eleven years. That said… here are my initial results.By investigating, I’ve learned first-hand what it feels like to get an actual response from an unseen entity. So far I’ve had several responses during multiple investigations. But I’m not all that surprised considering how active this house has been in the past. Before I continue allow me to share with you what equipment I used when I made contact. My weapon of choice was an EMF detector. This device is commonly used by electricians but has also become a very popular tool for paranormal investigations. Why? Because most in the field believe that spirits not only have a magnetic field but can use it to communicate with the living. My particular device reads on a scale of 0-10 Milligauss at 50/60 Hz. The way in which paranormal investigators use this device is by first establishing the magnetic field readings of the location. Once the magnetic fluctuations of a particular building are mapped out, the investigator can then narrow down the best areas to investigate. In point, those free of pre-existing magnetic activity. Examples of potentially higher magnetic readings in a home might include light fixtures, wiring, etc.. Once ready to use an EMF detector, only yes or no questions should be asked. A spike in the meter insinuates a ‘yes’. No spike in the meter insinuates a ‘no’.On to the spooky stuff! My first time attempting to contact ‘the other side’ was in early September, 2011. While you might’ve expected me to choose nighttime, I opted to try it at 3 O’clock in the afternoon. Why? It was one of those rare times that I was home alone. With baited breath and EMF detector in hand, I stood in the hallway on the second floor. Silly as it might sound, I began by introducing myself in a clear, concise voice. I suppose a few of you are thinking, “Um, isn’t it safe to assume the ghost already knows who you are?” Yes, probably. But it seemed like the best way to do it. To my mind, those in the afterlife should be treated as politely and with as much respect as I’d treat any living person I’d just met. I explained what the EMF detector was and how I believed it might be a tool in with which they could communicate. I even explained how I thought they might be able to manipulate it using energy. I tried not to overthink the fact that I was asking something supernatural to get so close to me! Five minutes went by. No response. Honestly, even though I knew the house was haunted, I didn’t think I’d receive a response my first time. In the middle of the afternoon, no less.But I did.I’ll never forget the moment I watched the motionless needle first leap in response to a question. I gripped the detector with two hands and forced myself not to shake. Deep, even breathes were the key to remaining calm. So what question invoked an answer? Pretty basic. I asked, “Are you the man who built this house?” The meter spiked to five then dropped back to zero. Naturally, I assumed it might be my husband’s great-grandfather who built the house for his wife in 1901. So I asked, “Is this Richard?” (leaving off the last name for the sake of the family’s privacy). No response. I asked several more times. Still no response. Again I asked, “Is this the man who built this house?” This time the meter shot up to seven then dropped to zero. Suddenly it occurred to me, Richard had not built the house himself… he’d hired workers!I communicated with this spirit for fifteen more minutes. Please join me tomorrow on Halloween to hear the rest of what I found out during my investigations. Best,Sky

My Victorian. My True Ghost Stories. Segment #4.

Welcome! Leaving off from last year, It's time to share more of my own true haunted ghost stories.

For those of you who joined me last year I started sharing true ghost stories about the very house in which I currently live. On December 29th, 30th and 31stof 2011, I shared the first three segments. Well, it’s time for the next three! This time I’ll cover segments three, four and five on the same dates of 2012. This year I’ll be sharing not only more stories but my very own experiences when paranormal investigating in this house.

Just joining me for the first time and love true haunted stories? Be sure to check out the 'Flip Side' of A Writer's Mind where you can read segments one, two and three. So, let’s begin. First, allow me share with you a little about my Victorian taken from the ‘Flip Side.’ Owned by my husband’s family since its very birth, construction began in 1901. In 1903 my husband’s great grandfather walked his wife into her brand new house for the first time.

I still try to envision what it must have been like for her to walk into this house for the first time. How she must have been in awe by its grandeur and charm. By its oval handmade windows and sliding pocket doorways. The charm she must’ve felt as she strolled through the house, her long dress swooshing over the gleaming hardwood floors, finding all the wonderful little nooks and crannies her husband had built into the rooms.

I’ll never forget the first time I walked into this house 100 years later. The way I felt when I first entered the foyer and looked at the arched doorways and elegant balustrade lining the stairs. I was instantly, irrevocably in love. The feeling was almost…surreal. Even as a writer, I can’t convey how powerful that first moment was. Perhaps I was always meant to walk through the front door. Perhaps I was always meant to live here. It’s ten years later and I love this house as much as I did that very first moment.

As well as all its ghosts.

Oh yes, this is one very, very haunted house. In fact, my husband went to the store the other day. The cashier saw his home address and her eyes widened. She promptly asked, “Do you live here?” He said yes. (This house was rented out for many years in between) She responded, “I used to live there when I was a kid. Wow, that house is so haunted! I tell all my friends when we drive by about how haunted it is!”

How right she is.This segment I’ll share some of the strange occurrences that happened outdoors. Yes, it seems even the backyard is haunted. The most recent unexplainable events include the gates on our new deck being unlocked and opened. Because we have a dog we decided to have these swing gates added at the top of each set of stairs leading down from the deck. Not only are the lock latches tricky for us to open but the gate’s wood swells making it harder to execute the swing. My point? They cannot be opened by wind. With those facts established it’s always a little daunting when we find them mysteriously ajar. Three times this summer I was standing in the kitchen (right off the deck) doing dishes. Out of the corner of my eye I saw someone walk past the French doors. The first time it happened I assumed it was the guy we’d hired to stain the deck. So I popped my head out to say, “Hi!” Nobody was there yet both gates were open. The next two times it happened I knew no one was home. Again, the gates were open.Some say that home construction can stir up paranormal activity. This deck had been built a year prior. Could it be the spirits that haunt this house now haunt the deck? Another unexplainable but fairly consistent event involves hearing footsteps in the yard. Mostly it happens when I walk out to the shed. The first time I experienced this phenomena was about two years ago when my son was four.

Halfway between the house and shed, I’d clearly hear what sounded like my son running up behind me. When I turned, nobody was there. The spooky thing? (besides having phantom feet run up behind me *grins*) was that from about the age of two to four, my son always claimed he played with a little boy in the house. My son is an only child! I chalked it up to being his imagination. After all, many children have imaginary friends. It was not until quite recently that I did a little paranormal investigating in this house and discovered that a child is one of three spirits that supposedly haunts this location. I hope you enjoyed hearing a bit more about my haunted house. Be sure to join me again tomorrow as I talk about the amazing results I had when doing a little paranormal investigating.Best,Sky

Magic, Spells and Recipes. Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery by Kris Bradley.

Today I'd like to welcome over, Kris Bradley, author of Mrs. B’s Guide to Household Witchery: Everyday Magic, Spells, and Recipes. GIVEAWAY! Be sure to enter the Rafflecopter at the end of this post for a chance to win a PRINT copy of Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery. Contest open to US residents only.

Genre: New Age/ WiccaPublisher: Weiser Books, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC
ISBN: 978-1-57863-515-3Number of pages: 224
Word Count: 49,000Cover Artist: Jim Warner Amazon    B&N Book DescriptionFor domestic goddesses everywhere—add some magic and fun to those mundane household chores with Mrs. B.'s Guide to Household Witchery. Whether you're sweeping the floor, making a meal, or cleaning out that junk drawer, domestic witch Kris Bradley, creator of the popular blog, Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, will show you how to create spells and magic to bring happiness and balance into your home.

Bradley offers ideas and solutions to make the most out of everyday items, activities, and obligations. From Anchovies to Broccoli, and Wine to Yeast, from sweeping the floor to blow-drying your hair, you can change your outlook on life with a pinch of knowledge and a dash of magic! The book includes simple rituals, spells, and ways to connect with the spirits that watch over your home and family. Includes an appendix of herbs and a complete materia magica from the kitchen pantry.

Mrs. B's Guide to Household Witchery features:

ROOM BY ROOM: How to create magic while you cook, set up a family altar in the living room, or do a junk drawer divination

THE ELEMENTS FOR THE DOMESTIC WITCH: a primer on the 4 elements and how to balance them in your home

THE DOMESTIC WITCH'S HERBAL: Magical uses for every herb and food in your pantry, as well as instant magic with prepackaged spice mixes

SIMPLE SABBATS FOR THE BUSY WITCH: simple ways to celebrate the passing of the seasons

Introduction When I started on my path as a Pagan, I read book after book after book. With no Internet and no idea where to even think of finding another Pagan or group to learn with, putting information together for myself was the only thing I had back then. I was strongly drawn to anything based on the domestic part of magic and deity: gods and goddesses of the hearth, kitchen witchery, recipes of all sorts. Over the years, I worked out a system that allowed me to include magic in my everyday life as a wife and stay-at-home mom. With three kids, a houseful of pets, and not a lot of money, these methods had to include things that were already in my home and that could be done in a short amount of time. I came to consider this collection of methods “domestic witchery,” and I eventually started a blog called Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom, where I shared my ideas and thoughts on the subject.

This book contains the basics of it all, though I do not consider it a “101” book. While I hope it will help point the way to beginners who are interested in taking a domestic path, it’s based on the idea that readers have a general knowledge of magical practice and Pagan religious traditions already. This book won’t teach you how to be a Pagan, but it will hopefully lead you to some ideas on creating a house filled with magic and give you a broader view of what it means to be domestic. And though it mentions the holidays that I personally take part in, I believe that many of the ideas in this book can be incorporated into any spiritual practice. I hope you enjoy!

What Is a Domestic Witch?

Domestic witchery is a magical practice based on bringing magic and deity into the mundane of everyday domestic life. It’s the realization that even the simplest household chores can be transformed to influence the energies in our home and lives; every chore can honor our families, deity, and ourselves.

Does that mean working like a slave to carry out the every whim of our families? Or turning into the stereotypical 1950s housewife with a pristine house, dishpan hands, and a smile plastered on her face (not to mention a flask tucked into her apron)? Not at all. Many domestic witches do set their sights on being similar to that fifties mom in the sense of being available to their children, taking pride in their home, and cooking family meals. They are attempting to restore things that have started to get put on the back burner in this busy, often chaotic world. However, being a domestic witch is still about being a modern witch who works as an equal to their partner and with their chosen deity to make a warm, welcoming environment in their home. For those who choose to be parents, it’s also about bringing up healthy, happy children who are self-sufficient, self-assured, and who have a well-rounded spiritual upbringing.

Can a man be a domestic witch? Sure! Any man who wants to create a home that is a haven can work with magic to create the place he craves. Whether single or in a partnership, there is no reason why today’s modern male can’t take on the role of creating a magical household. Male domestic witches take pride in their homes, their land, their families. Domestic witchery is all about a love of caring for their hearth, home, family, and the deities who oversee them—not about gender!

In this book we’ll explore deities that traditionally watch over the home, find out ways to use your ceiling fan as a tool of the element of Air, learn to mix up a prosperity oil straight from your kitchen cabinet, and much more!


Magical Recipes: More than 100 recipes and spellsUsing Herbs and Magic to Spice Up Your Nightby Kris Bradley In this busy world, we might not find ourselves alone with our partner as often as we’d like to, so when you find yourself together home alone and want to set just the right mood.  Here are a few ideas to get things started!  Mix up a pot of Love and Lust Simmering Incense:  Fill a small saucepan with ½ full of water.  Add a healthy splash of red wine.  To this mix ass equal parts cardamom, coriander seeds, caraway seeds, dried or fresh ginger and cocoa powder.  Add a slice of apple peel, a pinch of cayenne, a pinch of paprika and two or three cloves.  Give the brew a good stir and say, “Fiery herbs, three times three, alight a spark for (your partner’s name) and me!” Bring this mix to a rolling boil, and then reduce heat to a very low simmer.   Let the mix simmer (adding water through out the evening to keep the pan from drying out) and fill your home with the aroma of the mixed herbs and magic and see what they bring!  Sesame Seed Oil Massage  Sesame seed oil (not toasted sesame seed oil, which smells stronger) is associated with the element of fire and can inspire lust when shared between a couple – it’s also known for it’s powers of boosting fertility!    Not only is sesame seed oil associated with lust, it’s also known to great for your skin, being fairly fast to absorb and very moisturizing.  So indulge in some sensual and magical massage!   Candle Magic for Attracting a New Partner  Not attached, but ready to move on to a new relationship?  Dress a red taper candle in grapeseed oil then roll it in ground dried rose petals (red for lust, pink for romantic love or a mix of the two).  Hold the candle in your hands and concentrate not on a particular person, but on the traits that you’d like most in a potential partner.  Place the candle in a holder and light it.  Say out loud, “Candle of love, candle of fire, help to bring my heart’s desire.”  Light the candle for a short time, repeating the mantra (watching the candle carefully, as dressed candles can sometimes flare).   Then get yourself out there so that you have the opportunities to meet that special someone!
Excerpt from SIMPLE SABBATS FOR THE BUSY WITCH: simple ways to celebrate the passing of the seasons Samhain—October 31
Though many look to October 31 as Halloween, Pagans from around the world call it Samhain (Sow-en), a time to remember their ancestors and to celebrate the start of a new year. This period is well suited to practicing divination, working on transitions of all sorts, candle magic, protection magic, and working with or contacting those who have passed on.

October is often one of the busiest months of the year in a Pagan household.

The fun of Halloween, creating costumes for the family, school events, and getting the household and property ready for the coming cooler weather keep us hopping. Sometimes there are not enough hours in the day to breathe, much less to plan a way to honor the season. Here are a few simple ways to celebrate.

Ritual: 5 Minutes Alone

This simple Samhain ritual lets you honor those who came before. If you have a few extra moments, add your favorite form of divination and see what the coming year will bring!

Items Needed:

• Your ancestor altar
• Lighter or matches
• A glass of apple cider
• A small snack, such as gingersnaps or a sliced apple

1. Sit before your ancestor altar and take a few deep breaths. Think about those who have passed on—their struggles and how they’ve affected your life. Think about how blessed you were to have them in your life.

2. When you feel centered and ready, light the candle on your altar and say, light this candle in honor of Samhain and to recognize the changing season. I honor the Lord and Lady and my ancestors and give them thanks. On this night, when their spirits walk among us and magic is in the air, I ask my ancestors for their blessings and ask them to watch over my family and home. So mote it be.

3. Sit for a moment or two. Drink your cider and eat your snack, being sure to leave some on your offering plate. Let the candle burn for as long as you safely can.Small Group Ritual

This ritual is just the right length to do with a friend or two, your partner, or the whole family. Just gather round and share the time together.
Items Needed:

• A candle
• A lighter or matches
• Scraps of paper
• A pen or pencil for each participant
• Your cauldron or other heat-safe container
• Cider and cups
• A plate of cookies

1. Gather everyone, and sit down somewhere comfortable with all of your ritual items. Begin with a simple deep breathing exercise to get everyone centered.

2. When everyone’s ready, light the candle and say, On this fall night of Samhain, we celebrate the turning wheel. As the seasons change, so goes the cycle of death and rebirth. Tonight we mark the death of the old year and the birth of the new. We make these pledges to ourselves and to the Lord and Lady.

3. At this time, each person should write down any resolutions that they’d like to make for the new year or any plans for new beginnings that they’d like to put into motion.

4. Go around the circle, and one at a time each participant can choose whether to share what they’ve written out loud. The paper is then lit on the flame of the candle (younger participants should be assisted by an adult) and placed in the cauldron to burn.

5. When everyone has finished, pass around the cider and cookies and enjoy each other’s company. Everyone should save a sip of the cider and a bit of his or her cookie. When it’s time to finish up, take the cooled ashes outside and bury them in the ground. Leave your food offerings nearby.r the Kids

There are usually more than enough Halloween activities going on in October for the kids. But how do you get them to understand what Samhain is really about? Create something fun to draw their attention while you count down the days!

Grab some orange construction paper and cut out thirty-one pumpkin shapes; number them 1 to 31 on one side. On the other side, write a short fact about Samhain, or paste on a picture of a loved one who’s passed or share a fun fact about that person. If you like, staple or tape a small treat to each pumpkin, such as a piece of candy, a coin, a small Halloween eraser, or something like that. Starting on October 1, find a place to stash the pumpkin where you know your child will find it. Pack it in their school lunch, stick it in their sock drawer, or prop it up by their toothbrush. On Halloween morning, tape the last paper pumpkin to a real pumpkin and help them carve a face in it so that it can guard your home that night. About the Author Kris Bradley is the magic behind the popular blog Confessions of a Pagan Soccer Mom (2500 readers). She helped establish The Sisterhood of the Triple Goddess coven in Keyport, NJ and is a legally ordained minister, in addition to being a witchy wife and mother. Her work on domestic witchery has been featured in PaganParenting.org and as a national column for Examiner.com. She lives in Keyport, NJ.

Visit Kris at her Website ~ Blog ~ Facebook ~ Twitter ~ Goodreads

http://www.rafflecopter.com/rafl/display/ba112f131/
 

She Picked The Worst Guy To Have An Affair With! The Necromancer by PM Richter

  It's my pleasure to welcome over PM Richter, author of The Necromancer. ***GIVEAWAY! PM Richter is graciously giving away four eBooks (PDF or Kindle) to one lucky winner. The titles included are The Necromancer, Midnight Reflections, The Living Image and Deadly Memories. Enter by leaving a comment. Be sure to include your email addy. Contest ends Wednesday, October 24th, 6 PM EST.***

ISBN-13: 978-1478349501 
ISBN-10: 1478349506
ASIN: B004AYDGVM

Number of pages:  346
Word Count:   121,705 Amazon Kindle        Amazon Print        Barnes and Noble
  Book Description  She picked the worst guy to have an affair with! -  Evil stalks in Hawaii  Michelle was brutally attacked in her locked hotel room in Las Vegas. The police didn't believe her and thought she must have lured a man up to her hotel room for a little sexual adventure, which went dangerously out of control.

Michelle sustained visible scars from the terrifying and almost lethal attack, but pure fear motivated the move from her home in California to Hawaii. She's scared her attacker will come back. She's sure the next time he'll kill her. Now she has a successful career and she figures abstinence is an acceptable, if lonely, way to live.

Michelle decides that an affair with a wickedly handsome man who moves into her building might cure her of the humiliating, embarrassing, and uncontrollable anxiety attacks which plague her whenever she finds herself alone with a man.

How could she know she made the worst possible choice?

Omar Satinov, the man Michelle has chosen, is a secret, whispered legend across several continents. His lure is a mystical religion based upon Witchcraft; his hook, the addictive herbal products he sells his followers. But does he really have supernatural powers, as many of his disciples believe?

Today PM Richter will be chatting about the way writer's think. Great topic! *grins*

Let's hear from PM Richter...

Thanks to A Writer’s Mind for hosting The Necromancer.  I also want to give appreciation to Bewitching Blog Tours for setting up this Guest Blog and Giveaway.

A Writer’s Mind

This topic about the way writers think is so interesting.  I didn’t know anyone else who worked all day, walked the dog, and then sat down at night to write novels.  I thought maybe I was just odd.  But it was the thing I loved to do and I hoped so much that sometime, way in some distant future, if I ever finished my novel, of course, I would be published and could hold my book in my hands.

Eventually, I had three different agents who loved my books, but couldn’t seem to sell them.  I finally contacted a small publisher myself and my first book was published.  It was off the shelves so fast my head spun.

By that time I had a few other novels and e-published.  Suddenly I was finding people just like me on writer’s forums.  They were bright, funny, fun people who loved books and writing.  The first time it happened it was like a light-bulb flashing off in my head.  I had tears in my eyes!  People like me!  I wasn’t so strange after all.

They wrote about the things that happen during the writing process.  See, we writers know that the characters we create actually write the books.  We’re at their mercy.  They dictate the direction of the book.  Sometimes though, plotting becomes overwhelming and we can’t figure out how to rescue the character that’s in a precarious situation.  That happened to me while writing The Necromancer.  Then one night, as I was nearly asleep, the whole ending of the book came to me in a flash.  I groggily got up and wrote it down so it wouldn’t disappear--it was the perfect ending.

That perfect ending took weeks to write, but my sudden middle-of-the-night plot invention worked out for the ending of The Necromancer.  This too is not uncommon for authors.  When we concentrate on something and then the conscious mind relaxes, like right before sleep, the sub-conscious mind comes up with the answers we’ve been looking for.  Some authors even dream about their books.  Others, like me, fall in love with a character.  It happened with Rod Nakamura in The Necromancer.  I kept thinking, gosh, I really like this guy!

Authors get so emotionally involved in their books and their characters.  We have to put them through a lot of traumatic events in our novels, and if we kill them off we cry and mourn.  So are we odd, yes.  In the nicest possible way.  We are entertainers who work very hard and hope so much that our readers will enjoy our stories.

Excerpt It was just past twilight, almost time for the Crystal Prophesies.  Omar leaned his elbows on the penthouse balcony, enjoying the moment.  This was a magical time of day and he was a magician.  He preferred calling himself a Necromancer to the common titles: warlock, conjuror, magus, seer or wizard.  There were subtle variations, but he fancied 'romancer' in his title.  Necromancer.  It described him.  He romanced his way into hearts and minds.  With the help of a little magic.

As he gazed at the panorama spread out below, the Pacific slowly changed from light blue to a misty topaz.  Lush clouds floated on the horizon, and stars began to glow.  To his left was the tinsel-tourist Waikiki, and to his right the city of Honolulu was lighting up. Below him, in this very building, he could sense the presence of a remarkable woman.

He turned, gazing through plate glass windows into his new penthouse.  Ginger and Samson were inside.  Ginger noticed his look and, with a flourish, she uncovered an enormous crystal ball from its leather shroud.  She winked at him.  Ginger was a disciple, a beautiful tall woman, with long curly red hair.  She wore a flowing blue gown for the ceremony.

It was a tradition for the three of them to gaze into the crystal ball to divine their future when they expanded to a new location. They had arrived in Oahu a week ago.  Tonight was perfect, the time of the full moon.

Omar went inside and sat down in front of the crystal.  The sphere was almost two feet in diameter and sparkled on a base of black onyx.  The three were seated in the main living room, beneath a skylight.  White rafters crossed the cathedral ceiling.  The room was dark except for a cold silvery glow from the candles Ginger had placed around the room.

Omar passed his hands over the crystal ball several times for theatrical effect, principally for Samson, who was watching with curious eyes.  Omar's acolyte, Samson was a gigantic man who would never age mentally.  He did remember this ritual.  His mouth was open in anticipation.

Omar frowned and leaned closer, gazing into the depths of the crystal.  Indeed, the omens were not auspicious.  Red forms floated amorphously inside, constantly changing shape.  This denoted the substance that controlled all magical rites.  Blood was a fluid like the tide; it flowed like the ocean, was coaxed by the moon to move subtly in bodies, causing emotional changes called lunacy. Sometimes it spilled.

The black he observed, swirling around the red forms like a night wind, could be taken as a symbol of his own influence.  It was the bright white light clashing there which forced Omar's dark eyebrows to slide together.  White, an opposing force, seemed capable of exerting great influence in these Hawaiian islands.  Omar couldn't tell if it indicated an old curse peculiar to these islands, with their ancient polytheist beliefs, or if it referred to a threatening individual.

The white was glowing, taking over.  There was busy movement inside the crystal.  It might have been a reflection from the stark white walls, but Omar was not taking chances.

"Who will sacrifice?" he asked, frowning at Ginger and Samson in turn.  He took a dagger from the leather sheath that Ginger had placed beside the crystal ball.

The colossal young man cowered away.

Omar shook his head.  Samson let out a tiny moan, but Omar swiftly reached across the crystal and pointed the tip of the dagger at Ginger.

"I need heart blood," Omar said.

Ginger closed her eyes and nodded.  He made a small slashing cut above her left breast, above her heart.  The cut was superficial, but blood immediately started flowing.

Ginger leaned forward and red dripped on the round crystal ball, and slowly, like wine with good legs, inched down its sides.

Omar recited incantations and waved his long expressive hands.  Both Ginger and Samson saw silver sparks extend from his fingertips and enter into the crystal. Ginger thought the effect might have been starlight drifting down from the skylight above.  Samson was sure it was magic.

Omar peered into the depths of the crystal and was satisfied.  The white light was winking out.  The sacrifice had been potent.

His mind again sought the lovely feminine presence he had felt below him in this building.  When he found it he smiled.  His final aspiration would be fulfilled.  The Crystal Prophesy said so.

About the Author PM Richter is an author living in West Hollywood California. She has a degree in Psychology, from Northridge State University. She has worked as a property manager for Nansay, Corp. a multi-national corporation, been a dance teacher for Arthur Murray and Fred Astaire Dance Studios. She has five novels available on Amazon Kindle.

The Living Image
The Necromancer
Midnight Reflections
Trifecta
Deadly Memories Visit P.M. Richter's Website ~ Facebook ~ Twitter @pmraven  ***Don't forget that there's a contest! Enter by leaving a comment. Be sure to include your email addy. Contest ends Wednesday, October 24th, 6 PM EST.***

The SCIENCE Behind Remote Viewing. Artificial Intelligence. Reincarnation. Impossible Realities by Maureen Caudill.

Today it's my pleasure to feature, Maureen Caudill, author of Impossible Realities: The Science Behind Energy Healing, Telepathy, Reincarnation, Precognition, and Other Black Swan Phenomena. This book is a non-fiction/new age/paranormal published by Hampton Roads Publishing, an imprint of Red Wheel/Weiser, LLC.
ISBN: 978-1-57174-663-4Number of pages: 256
Word Count: 66,377Cover Artist: Jim Warner Amazon    Barnes and Noble Book DescriptionImpossible Realities is the first book to examine the science behind psychic and paranormal activity. A former Defense Department expert on artificial intelligence, Maureen Caudhill provides evidence for a wide range of paranormal phenomena.

Impossible Realities presents a wealth of anecdotal and empirical evidence to prove the existence (and power) of:

• psychokinesis (most famously spoon bending)• remote viewing• energy healing• telepathy, animal telepathy• precognition• survival after death• reincarnation
Caudill presents the strongest case yet for bringing paranormal phenomena from the margins into the realm of the normal and credible. This is a book both for true believers and skeptics alike.
Book IntroductionBlack Swans and Other Challenges to Comfortable Reality

Once upon a time . . .

There was a great kingdom that prided itself on being the smartest, the most logical, and the greatest at absolutely everything.

And indeed, the kingdom was rich and powerful and received lots of grant money donated from everyone important. The philosopher-king who ruled this magical land noticed one day that every time he saw a swan, it had white feathers. After consulting with his Truth Committee, he found that every single member agreed: No one had ever seen a swan with anything except white feathers. Thus, a theory was born:

All swans are white.

This theory was duly recorded in the Annals of All Truth for the kingdom. Once thus inscribed, it was added to every textbook in the land, so that all children were thoroughly trained in the principle—one hesitates to say “dogma”—that all swans are white.

One day, a naughty little girl listened to her teacher state that all swans are white. The little girl thought about that, then she stuck her grubby little hand into the air.

“Teacher!”

“What is it, Brunhilda?”

“What if they’re not? I mean, what if all swans aren’t white?”

Horrified by such heresy, the teacher set little Brunhilda to writing “All swans are white for sure” a thousand times. Brunhilda did as required, muttering all the while, “I still don’t believe it.”
Fast-forward decades later. Brunhilda is now out in the wilderness where she hears a swan honking from a pond nearby. Sneaking up on the pond, she peeks through the bushes . . . and sees a black swan!

At that point, she knows that she has toppled orthodoxy.

The point of this story is that if you have a theory that all swans are white, it takes only one confirmed sighting of a black swan to realize that the theory is incorrect.

This is the state of science today. Current scientific orthodoxy holds the theory that psychic phenomena are “impossible.” With this theory held as “truth,” any claims to the contrary are ascribed to hoaxes, frauds, mistakes, delusions, or hallucinations.1

As with the theory that all swans must be white, if any single psychic skill is demonstrated proven, it topples scientific orthodoxy that all psychic phenomena are impossible.

This book is an attempt to topple that scientific orthodoxy.

Please note, Brunhilda did not have to demonstrate that all swans are black, or even that black swans are particularly common. To disprove the theory that all swans are white, she only needed to find a single black swan.

Like many people, and certainly like most people trained in the hard sciences, I, too, grew up believing that all swans are white, that psychics were all jokes, hoaxes, and charlatans— fun entertainment, but with nothing real about them. I studied physics—as hard a science as there is—and spent a career in computer science, focusing primarily on artificial intelligence and neural networks.

Things don’t get much more logical and down-to-earth than that.

The problem is, when I started experiencing odd, inexplicable effects, I had to choose from three alternatives. I could dismiss my experiences as self-delusion, trickery, or imagination; I could decide I had lost my mind and tipped over the edge into psychosis; or . . . just maybe . . . I could have found a Black Swan.

Since by most reports people seem to believe I’m a moderately normal, functioning adult, I do not believe I’m psychotic.2 On top of that, my Black Swan hasn’t been a single event, but a bevy of Black Swans. They’ve come one right after another. They’ve come in whole bevies, flocks, herds of Black Swans. Some have come with hard physical proof.

It’s pretty difficult to throw away the amount of data that I’ve accumulated from personal experience. In fact, the experiences are so compelling that I’ve had to completely change my perspective about almost everything I thought I understood as orthodoxy.

With that said, I also recognize that my personal experiences are compelling and convincing to only one person—me. No one else can possibly trust these experiences as meaningful evidence, because they were not generated in formal scientific protocols or under rigorous scrutiny. In fact, the only person who knows exactly what happened and what didn’t happen is me.

I’m like little Brunhilda. I’ve seen my Black Swans and I know that current orthodoxy is wrong. Unfortunately, I also know that just as Brunhilda’s word about what she has seen in that pond isn’t sufficient to convince the philosopher-king to change the Annals of All Truth, my personal experiences, no matter how ardently I protest their veracity, will convince no one else that my Black Swans exist. To accomplish that, I need harder proof. And that hard proof is what this book is about.

In the chapters that follow, I’ll guide you through a handful of the Black Swans I’ve seen. I’ll tell you why I personally believe in these Black Swans, mostly because I’ve personally experienced them. But, recognizing that you’ll need more proof than my personal stories, I’ll also show you that each one of these Black Swans is supported by an extensive array of scientific evidence. In other words, you don’t have to believe my stories. While I hope you enjoy them, and that they enliven your journey, you don’t have to believe a single word I tell you about what happened to me. Instead, I ask you to believe the many scientists who have spent years of their lives and risked their professional careers and reputations to investigate the possibility that not all swans are white.

Over the following chapters, I’m going to invite you to observe eight separate Black Swans. There are other Black Swans out there that I won’t discuss, of course, and to some degree, the ones I’ve chosen to discuss are those that have most intruded on my life. I could have included several more topics, but only at the risk of making this book excessively long and unwieldy. But here’s a sneak peek at the beautiful Black Swans you’ll meet in these pages.

The First Black Swan is psychokinesis, more specifically spoon-bending. I start there because whenever I do a workshop, I nearly always make time for a spoon-bending exercise. People love doing it. (And, yes, in my workshops they don’t watch me bend spoons. I pass out spoons and forks and have the participants do it themselves. It’s way fun.) Furthermore, it’s something people remember; it sets them up for a good time. And . . . well, you’ll read all about it in the next chapter.

The Second Black Swan is remote viewing. This is the skill that the CIA and the military spent more than twenty years developing by supporting a group of “psychic spies.” You may think you know all about that program, and you may think you know that it was “discredited.” If you believe that, I think you may find yourself quite surprised by what the evidence really shows about the effectiveness of remote viewing.

The Third Black Swan is energy healing. This is a Black Swan that surprised the heck out of me when it impinged on my life. As you’ll learn in the stories I share about this particular skill, though I had learned to respect several other psychic skills, when healing showed up in my life I was completely blown away. Happily, there’s a substantial body of evidence that supports psychic healing and, interestingly, the ability of prayer to affect the outcome of health crises.

The Fourth Black Swan is telepathy, and, as a related skill, something I call “telempathy.” The dividing line between these is subtle. I consider telepathy the ability to read another person’s thoughts. Telempathy, a word I coined, is the ability to read another person’s emotions. To me, telempathy is easier to believe in, but as it turns out, the scientific evidence is pretty clear that telepathy works, too.

The Fifth Black Swan is animal telepathy. This Black Swan is near and dear to my heart. Like many of you, I’m a pet owner. Or rather, I should say I am proud to be allowed to share my home with my cat. I grew up with dogs and love them dearly, too, but in recent years I have switched to cats as my companion animals.3 I find animal communication with my cat is both very real and amazing when it happens. In this chapter, you’ll learn that there are some surprising experiments that provide good evidence for the ability of animals to read our minds, at least some of the time. Don’t believe me? Read the chapter.

The Sixth Black Swan is precognition. If you thought it was hard to believe in animals reading your mind, when it comes to looking into the future, you may decide that is even wilder.

But as it happens, there is solid scientific data that demonstrates that we absolutely do have proof that we can look into the future. (I don’t use the word “proof” lightly, by the way.) You might be surprised by this chapter, but I hope you’ll be open-minded enough to read it.

The Seventh Black Swan is survival after death. Yes, that’s right. I’m going to address the question of whether any part of us survives after death. To put this in perspective, I used to be absolutely convinced that there was no chance that anything survived the death experience. As a good little scientific materialist, I was completely convinced that death meant the cessation of everything. No heaven, no hell, no ghosts, no nothing. Death merely meant you just . . . stopped. I tell you some part of what has changed my mind about this, and then I review the solid scientific evidence that demonstrates that some part of us—a spirit, a soul, something—survives death.

The Eighth Black Swan is reincarnation. Yes, that’s what I said. Reincarnation. By that I mean exactly what you think I mean: the whole prospect of having more than one life. In this chapter we take a look at cases where children remember lives they’ve lived before, and we consider how credible these cases may be. This again is a topic that once would have surprised me. Fifteen years ago I would never have imagined myself writing anything in support of reincarnation—that was simply far too strange for me. As it turns out, however, when I measure the outrageousness of the concept today, it’s . . . not so much.

After considering each of these eight Black Swans, I recap what we’ve learned in chapter 9. I summarize the evidence presented and offer my own generalizations for what they imply about how psychic phenomena operate. No, I don’t present a theory that attempts to explain how they work—I leave that to the professional physicists and theoreticians like Ervin Laszlo and Amit Goswami, who are working on such theories. These and other very smart men and women will no doubt eventually succeed and lead us into a better understanding of how the universe really works.

In the chapters ahead I have had to winnow through the available evidence. There are dozens and dozens of papers in each of these subjects that, for lack of room, I have had to leave out. I tried to find interesting, solid research projects, and wherever possible, I looked for experiments that maybe haven’t been publicized as much as others. A glance at the reading list will show you that there is far more research out there than I have discussed, or could discuss in less than a one-thousand-page tome. With occasional exceptions, I limited my list of papers to only those published in the past ten years or so.

Because most people don’t have access to the libraries where most of these academic papers can be found, however, I have also included a Recommended Books list. These are books that are favorites on my personal bookshelf, and all of them should be available in regular bookstores or libraries. All are well written and good reading.

Finally, experience has proved to me that many people who read a book like this will want to explore their psychic abilities for themselves. (And, yes, you do have psychic skills, even if you’ve never experienced them so far. If I can do these things, so can you.) Thus, I’ve provided some interesting resources that you can follow up on if you like.

Most of all, though, I hope you find this book fun and entertaining as well as informative. Although I take the subject seriously, the last thing in the world I want to do is bore you into submission. Instead, I hope you’ll be entertained, enlightened, and set free to go discover your very own Black Swans. Reading about other people’s experiences won’t convince you of anything.

About the Author Maureen Caudill spent more than twenty years as a computer scientist, fifteen of those as a researcher in artificial intelligence and neural networks. She was a program manager and Artificial Intelligence researcher working on such advanced projects as DARPA (“High Performance Knowledge Base” program) and ARDA (“Advanced Question Answering for Intelligence” program).

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